Press

According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. At the present time, 12.5 million children, ages 6-19 in the United States are obese. Many more are overweight. Starting January 16, 2015, an international team of athletes will begin a 4 1/2 month journey, running the equivalent of 117 back-to-back marathons across the United States with the goal of inspiring a healthier generation. Join us as we run across the country. Apply for the core team, cross a state or run one of thirteen 4-day challenge events. If you are not a runner, you can sponsor, donate or volunteer! Teachers, please click here.

Photos

Kids running at Parkview Elementary School in Socorro, NM

Darren running through the countryside along the route for the Race Across Mississippi

The route for the Race Across USA will follow the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia

The Race Across USA will end in Washington D.C.

Sign found the along Highway 62 between Twentynine Palms and Parker, AZ

The Route for the Race Across USA

Talking Points

The Race Across USA is a footrace scheduled for January 16 through June 2, 2015 (140 days). The cause is childhood fitness. All proceeds for this event will go to 100 Mile Club® – a 501(c)3 organization.

The running distance from California to Washington D.C. will total 3,080 miles.

There will be 12 core team runners who will run across the entire country. Up to 18 runners will join the core team for a state or one of our four-day events.

Runners will run stages that are approximately 26.2 miles (a marathon) long and participate in expos with students and the local community to get the word out.

The event will start in Huntington Beach, California and pass through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and finally Washington D.C. On June 2, the runners will finish the day at the White House in Washington D.C.

The goals for the Race Across USA are three fold: a) Raise awareness about the epidemic of childhood inactivity in young people, b) Raise funds to sponsor students who cannot afford the cost of qualified activity programs and c) Inspire children to make vigorous physical activity a consistent part of their daily lives.

The 100 Mile Club challenges kids to run (or walk) 100 miles in a school year. Incentives such as a t-shirt or a wristband are earned along the way. Students are awarded a gold medal if they run 100 miles by the end of the school year. The 100 Mile Club was started 20 years ago by Kara Lubin, a special needs teacher in California.

Quotable Quotes (From Prior Interviews)

“We have organized the race at two levels,” Darren Van Soye said, “and we have received applications and have selected 10 core team runners who will run the entire route coast to coast.”

“As the runners move across the country, we will be visiting with schools on behalf of the 100 Mile Club, a program that encourages school children to run or walk 100 miles in a school year,” Sandy Van Soye said. “They can do it either before school, during recess or after school.”

“We are doing this as a fundraiser for the 100 Mile Club program,” Sandy Van Soye said, “The cost of the program is $10 per student, but we want to raise funds for schools where the students can’t afford to pay the entry fee.”

“We want to encourage children to exercise, and we want to have our runners visit schools as they pass through communities,” Sandy Van Soye said. “We really are doing this to promote fitness, especially for the children.”

“When I ran my first marathon, it completely changed my life,” Darren Van Soye said. “… The confidence it gave me was so amazing, and it led me to ask how much I could push myself.”

TV News

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